Education will allow families with unborn children to apply for a place

PalmThe Ministry of Education and Universities will implement a single school zone system in almost all municipalities of Mallorca and Menorca as part of the enrollment process for the 2026-2027 academic year. The Minister of Education, Antoni Vera, presented the new admissions regulations and detailed the changes to school assignment, admissions, and enrollment, as well as the new features for each educational stage. Vera emphasized that online applications will remain the preferred method for requesting places and completing enrollment, as they offer a faster, more efficient, and more reliable process, although in-person assistance will still be available for families who require it. The new regulations introduce specific measures for the first cycle of Early Childhood Education (ages 0-3). Among these, the admission of unborn children is now permitted. In this case, a medical certificate indicating an upcoming delivery date will be required. The regulations also address the management of withdrawals and waiting lists and incorporate greater flexibility in classroom organization, allowing schools to better adapt to the needs of families and children.

Registration process calendar

The school enrollment process will begin on March 26th with the registration of students for Primary, Secondary, Special Education, and Baccalaureate levels. Regarding the other stages:

• 0-3 years: Applications from April 13th to 21st. Registration, from June 1st to 12th.
• Early Childhood Education (ages 3-6), Primary, Secondary and Special Education: Applications from May 4th to 14th. Registration for Infant School, from June 22nd to 26th; Primary and Special Education Enrollment, from June 22 to 29, and of Secondary, From June 25th to July 1st.
• Baccalaureate: Applications from June 19 to 25. Registration, from July 16 to 20.

What changes with the single zone?

The most significant change is that the municipality becomes the basic unit for admissions, abandoning the previous system of school zones. This means that in municipalities "where feasible," families can submit applications within a single zone, avoiding the geographical limitations that previously affected the allocation of places. In Mallorca, the single zone system is applied in all municipalities except Calvià, Andratx, Selva, and Santa Margalida. In Menorca, only Mahón maintains the traditional zones. In Ibiza, the zones are retained for "technical reasons," according to the Minister of Education, Antoni Vera. In Palma, the change is particularly notable: from eight zones three years ago, the system has been reduced to a single zone, a measure that has been widely criticized by the educational community, which has repeatedly demanded that it not be implemented. According to data from Minister Vera, in 2023-2024 (with eight zones), 93.2% of families obtained a place in their first-choice school. The following academic year, 2024-2025 (3 zones), saw a rate of 90.1%, and the current academic year, 2025-2026 (2 zones), has reached 94.8%.

Even so, the Regional Ministry will maintain or adjust specific zoning in cases of long distances, single-teacher schools, or to guarantee an appropriate distribution of students with SEN (Specific Educational Support Needs). In this way, each area will be able to implement the solution that best suits its needs. The specific zoning will be published annually in the school enrollment resolution, which this year will be released next Thursday.

Expansion of educational offerings for ages 0-3

The Balearic Government will expand the free provision of the first cycle of early childhood education (ages 0-3), with 1,200 additional places planned for the 2026-2027 academic year (500 in public schools and 700 in subsidized private schools), bringing the total to 15,300 places. At the beginning of the legislative term, there were only 5,200 places available, corresponding solely to the 2-3 year-old age group. Eight new centers, directly managed by the Ministry of Education, will also be added, linked to several primary schools and nurseries: CEIP Joan Mas (Pollença), CEIP Jaume I, Génova and La Soledad (Palma), CEIP Blanca Dona (Ibiza), the nurseries Son Dameto and Son Gibert (Palma), and Can Cantó (Ibiza).

Regarding the 4th year of preschool (three years old), the forecast is 10,014 places: 6,493 public and 3,521 subsidized, taking into account the 8,951 children born in Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza according to the census of the year 20

• The resolution will also include new school affiliations, adapting their educational offerings to the realities of each municipality. Among the most notable is the transfer of CEIPIESO Gabriel Vallseca (Palma) to IES Josep Sureda i Blanes, due to the first graduating class completing compulsory secondary education (ESO) at the school. This measure is part of a strategy to reduce early school leaving by ensuring educational continuity for students throughout all stages of their education.
• CEIP Call Rojo (Campos) at the IES Damià Huguet (Campos).
• CEIP Tramuntana (Palma) and CEIP Mestre Colom (Bunyola) at the IES Joan Maria Thomàs, Josep Maria Llompart, Madina Mayurqa and Son Pacs.
• CEIP Nou (Can Picafort) at the IES Santa Margalida.
• CC la Asunción (Binissalem) at CC La Salle (Inca).

These measures aim to guarantee educational continuity, prevent school dropout, and ensure a better distribution of students among schools. According to Vera, the set of changes intends to make school enrollment simpler, more equitable, and more flexible, respecting the characteristics of each municipality and offering families the freedom to choose the school they consider most suitable.